


A Reminder To Remember

by lilolilyrae



Category: Star Trek
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, Tattoos, end of the five-year mission, enterprise crew tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-21
Updated: 2018-09-21
Packaged: 2019-07-14 18:28:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16046123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilolilyrae/pseuds/lilolilyrae
Summary: At the end of the Five Year Mission, Jim has the idea that the crew of the Enterprise could get matching tattoos to remember their time together.Will our favourite vulcan agree to this sentimental nonsense? :DRead to find out!





	A Reminder To Remember

**Author's Note:**

> 2018-09-21  
> I knowwww I shouldn't be writing other Spirk stories when I can't seem to finish my current Work In Progress... Sorryyyy
> 
> I have never gotten a tattoo myself because I'm way too indecisive, so I'm sorry if I got anything wrong about the process!

Spock's shoulder stings, and somehow, he doesn't have it in himself to block out the unpleasant sensation. Or maybe he does not truly want to.

It's a little tattoo, in black and white- apparently those hurt less than the ones in colour, and although logically Spock knows that he cannot possibly make the comparison, given that he himself has never gotten a coloured tattoo, he finds he can't quite believe a different tattoo would somehow hurt _more_.

Why did he do this illogical thing in the first place...

Right, because at first he had not agreed and because Jim had been quite unhappy because of it. He would never show it, never pressure Spock into something he is under the impression Spock truly does not want to do... But Spock knows his tells.

And almost everyone had gotten the tattoo, at the end of their five-year mission. Not everyone the same, or in the same place- but they still all had something to show that, even though it was now over, they still belonged together. A spaceship-family.

 

 

* * *

 

_"I do not see why I should endure pain to achieve a permanent image on my skin" Spock had said when Jim first came up with the idea. "What is the appeal?"_

 

_They had been laying in bed together, still on the enterprise and a few hours before their shift- Jim would insist on saying it had occured in the morning, despite not having actual daytimes on a starship._

_"Oh, I dunno Spock, to remember? And, like, to show that we belong together! I dunno, I just think it would be a cool thing, and maybe some others would do it too..."_

_"I have to say that to me, it is unlogical to choose such an image for my skin as I would not forget the sight without it, and as my memory can show it to me in greater detail than a tattooing-"_

_"Aww, you romantic, you just said you'd never forget the enterprise!"_

 

_Spock just lifted an eyebrow at him, having given up on reminding Jim that with his memory, he could not easily forget even if he wanted to. "...as for the showing of unity, I would say that by now our faces are well-known enough in starfleet that no-one needs a reminder as to on which ship we have served. And would the tattoos not have to be placed on a bodypart easily hidden by starfleet uniforms?"_

_"Yeah, I guess- still, we'd know it's there, and it's just- I mean, I guess it's just human sentimantality or something, but it's like a reminder to remember, you understand?"_

_Spock nodded slowly. "In that case, I encourage you to go on with your plan of suggesting it to our human crewmembers, and whoever else wants to participate."_

_Jim smiled at him, but it was a sad smile. "But you're not getting one, are you? Well, you'll just have to look more at mine, then!" He says with false cheer._

 

_Then he hopped out of bed and started to collect his discarded pieces of uniform._

_"Well, I'm gonna ask the rest later! Oh, I bet Scotty will be all for it, but Bones probably needs a double whiskey to even stand the sight of needles that didn't come from his own sickbay!"_

_Spock sighed. "Just make sure the crew knows this is nothing mandatory, your position as Captain might make some feel pressured into accepting" he calls after Jim as the other disappears into their bathroom._

_"I'll make sure that Scotty and Uhura spread the idea, then! Not Bones, no-one wants to listen to the doc!"_

_"I believe you are, as you would say, 'judging others by your own standards." Spock had said calmly, but Jim had already disappeared under the shower._

* * *

 

A little surprisingly for Spock, Jim had soon gotten many members of the crew on board with the idea. 83%, to be exact.

There was an entire groupchat designated for design ideas and tattoo expertise (Spock was only in it to observe- out of illogical curiosity).

 

Jim and the other command staff determined to get a tattoo had done so the second week after the enterprise had arrived back on earth

Jim would have liked to do so sooner, but Spock had anticipated the paperwork and official meetings required after their long mission and wisely set the appointment with the Doctor McCoy-Approved tattoo artist at this later dare, forwarding the details to the others.

They all knew Spock himself did not intend to get a tattoo, but he and Jim had been open about their relationship for quite a while now, so it was not a surprise for anyone tht he would tag along.

 

Once there. McCoy had indeed gotten drunk, and Jim himself had 'taste-tested' quite a bit of the Doctor's whiskey.

But humans can not block out pain as well as vulcans do, so Spock did and does not blame him, especially as Jim had probably gotten the biggest tattoo of them all: on his back is now the enterprise as seen from above, very detailed, in colour and with the darkness of the universe seemingly spreading from it especially over his right shoulder blade and the left side of his lower back.

 

Jim had moaned about the pain and his inability to lay on his back for days afterwards, and Spock had been certain that his illogical human had been cured from experiments of the like.

But just as the tattoo had fully healed, Jim went back- alone- and got another tattoo, this time on his hipbone, just covered from view if he wore starfleet issue trousers.

 _T'hy'la_ \- friend, brother, lover. He must have consulted someone on the caligraphy, for its execution is flawless.

As he had been standing in front of Spock in their living room, trousers pulled just over his hip to show the design, he had smiled awkwardly and said "You don't have to understand it, it's just-" and Spock had kissed him, human-style, right there, not caring about the open window and having the lights on, Vulcan decency and starfleet gossip be damned.

And since then his thoughts had kept returning to the idea of a tattoo for his own.

 

Now, Spock looks at the bandage covering the newly stung tattoo from view, and the corners of his eyes crinkle in a little, secret smile.

Every time he is remembered of the presence of the tattoo by the ache, he also rememberes the image- and with it the time in space.

'A reminder to remember', indeed.

 

Entering their rental flat, he smiles as he can hear Jim humming in the kitchen. 

Should he show Jim the tattoo immediately? It would be illogical to wait, but Spock is also feeling a little anxious about Jim's possible reaction. Forcing those feelings down, he walks down the hallway. 

"Hey you!"

Jim grins as he sees him, pecks him on the lips and turns right back around to a pile of restaurant flyers on the kitchen 

"I'm starving, I thought we could order take-out, I'm too tired to cook from all these files I read, and if you were stuck in meetings till now I guessed you're the same, and now that real food's a possibility I don't even want to think about replicator stuff... You want italian too? I think I'm going for pizza, though, perks of takeout, we can just both order different stuff, I got an entire pile of flyers... Spock?"

 

Jim turns back around and Spock notices that he had just been standing there, smiling at his lover talking this animatedly. 

"I would be amicable to italian food- but first, I need to change a bandage"

"You've been injured??" Jim looks shocked, and Spock is quick to reassure him, sorry that he worried him in the first place.

"None of the like. I will show you."

 

Putting away his coat and carefully slipping of the Vulcan robe, he peels of the cloth and turns so Jim may get a better view of the design.

It's a side-view of the enterprise, surrounded by carefully designed black Vulcan calligraphy.

 

"Oh, Spock, that's beautiful!"

Jim leans closer, raising his hand but then remembering not to touch a fresh tattoo.

"But you didn't have to do this, you know that right?" he looks up at Spock, seemingly a little afraid of the answer.

"I am well aware that I was under no obligation, Jim. I wanted to get this."

"Okay, then- okay." Jim smiles and inspects the tattoo more closely, finger lingering over the design of the enterprise. Then he moves to the calligraphy. 

"What's this say?"

"I dungi kwon-sum zahal-tor t'nash-veh khart-lan" Spock first recites the words in the language they are written. Then he takes a deep breath. 

"It means: I will always follow my Captain."

He feels hus cheeks turn green.

For a moment, Jim is frozen in place, still staring at the tattoo. Then when he looks up, his eyes are wet.

"Fuck, Spock. I love you so much you giant vulcan goofball, and whoever said vulcans don't have emotions..."

"You have stated the named quote to be untrue quite a few times since we started our relationship." Spock notes, amused and relieved that Jim's reaction to the tattoo is positive. 

"Yeah, well, you keep showing that you have more and more emotions! Goofball"

Jim giggles, then he presses a kiss to Spock's arm under the tattoo, then to his lips.

"Come on, we gotta put a fresh bandage on before I can snog you senseless!"

In silent agreement, Spock lets himself be pulled along. 

 

* * *

The end! <3

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked it!
> 
> I had the idea to this because I read some other tattoo-fics (in different fandoms, so I'm not linking anything), and then I remembered watching the appendices to the lord of the rings where I think (It's been a while, so I'm not actually 100% certain) that almost everyone in the film crew got matching tattoos of I think sth in elvish :) so my brain was like... you know another crew that could use matching tattoos... and here we are!
> 
> If anyone feels like making a fanart, no matter how tiny, of Spock and/or Jim with their tattoos and would let me add the pictures to this that would be amazing! I'd also link to your blog and everything of course :)
> 
> And if you want to, do check out my instagram @lilolilyraecosplays, I'm currently working on a B'Ellana Torres cosplay from StarTrekVoyager!  
>  
> 
> Kudos, Comments and Constructive Criticism are always apprecited!


End file.
